Illuminated sign and letter therefor



July 31, 192s. 1,679,296

C. B. EHNBORN ILLUIINATED SIGN AND LETTER THEREFOR Filed April 24, 1924Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF-Fres.

oHA'RLEs B; 'EHNiOnNfoF 'GLEN 'ELLYIL ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To A"terminasCusack COMPANY, oF CHIoAGjOg ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or NEW' JERSEY:

ILLUMINATED SIGN AND LETTER THERFOR.

appnatun med Apri124, 1924. `serial No. acaciaV This inventionrelatesgto an iliiprovement in signs 'and consists of the mattershereinafter described andmore particularly pointed out in the appendedv`claims` i 5 The object of the invention is to provide a sign and signletter or character .whichare cheap and economical of construction,which are readily and easily kepti clean and which .provide a brilliantandbold 'eii'ectboth as a day sign and night sign. Another ob]ect of theinvention is to .provide a signgof the kind yin which the letters orcharacters may be :easily and quicklyV interchanged o-r rearranged. j n

The several advantages of the novel sign and sign letter will appearmore fully as I proceed with specification.

In the drawings-` I `Fig. '.1 is aview in `front elevation ot anilluminated" lign embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough the same on an enlargedscale, as vtaken on the line 2-2 of Fig.1.`

Fig. 3 is a viewin rear elevation Votone of the letter or charactermembers forming 'a part of my invention.

Fig. `tis a View in trontelevation otra modified form of: letter orvcharacter member forming a part of my invention. D

Referring, now, in detail to that embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawings: 5 indicates'the casing orbodyof the sign and 6-6 indicates letter or character members associatedtherewith. The casing 5 is made of sheet metal in the form of an opentront box which is of a heightv greater than its depth and of a lengthwhich will accommodate the desired number ot' letter members to be usedtherewith.

The casing has a rear wall 7 end walls 8-8, top Vand bottom walls 910respec-V tively and a front wall 12 in which an elon' gated opening 13is provided for the letter members. The parts ofthe front wall 12defining the edges of the opening 13 are formed on their rear faces withinturned flanges 14 which stiften said wall and give it the appearanceof thickness.

Within the casing is a vertically convex reflector plate 15 whichextends'from the top to the bottom wall of the casing, being iixed inthat osition in any suitable manner. The re eetor plate extends the fulllength et the easing and is preferably paintf` of. a comparatively smalldia-meter.

ed white so as to present a bright white refleeting back-ground tor theletter members,

4presently to be described.

Spaced a suitable distance from Jthetop and bottom edges ofthe opening13 and just Vare supported at points between their ends by braces 17.which. braces` include rearwardly extending legs 1S. `The legs 18 vhavea hooked connection with 4'flange strips 19-19 on the reiectorplate. I

Monnted on the top and bottom walls 'of the casing between the reflectorplate 15 and the front wall oit' the casing vare brackets `--20 carryingelectric lamp sockets 21-1-21 ftor lthe lamps 22, said lamps being sopositio'ned tobeconcealed `from view through theopening 13. v l .i

The letter or character members Gare adapted to besnpported in theopening 13 in the plane of t-hefflange 14. `Each letter membercomprisessheet metal Stfrips`23-23 which are lseparated from eachothertoprovide a space 24 between them. As shown in Figs. 1j,l 2v and 3 saidstrips are made oiichan,` nel cross-section with their ianges directedtoward the reliector plate and the strips ot each letter are rigidlyconnected together in spaced relation by small rods 25-25 which are ofsuch diameter as to be substantially -invisible where they cross thespaces 24.

Fixed in a suitable manner to the rear face of each letter member aredownwardly facing hooks 26 which are adapted to have a hooked engagementupon the rods 16-16 as shown in Fig. 2. Then said hooks are engaged uponsaid rods, they hold the letter strips forming the letter members G arepainted a color `(such as black) which will present a sharp contrast tothe back-ground provided by the reflector 15. `Aswill be noticed fromFig. 1, the supporting reds 16X-a6 are' se arranged with te the opening13 and the hooks 26 are so arranged on the letter members, as to providean equal spacing between the top and bottom strips of said lettermembers and the top and bottomy flanges 1-f of the front Wall 12defining the opening 13.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of sign letter wherein the strips23u-23a forming said letter member are of a double bevel cross-sectioninstead of a channel cross-sec tion as before described.

lVhen a group of the letter members are supported in position in theopening 13 of a sign easing asA before described, and the lamps 22 areilluminated, an odd and attractive appearance is created. The lightreflected from the back-ground through the fully open letter membersimparts an appearance of White or opalescent glass letters clearlydefined by black out-lines upon a white background. I'Vhen the lamps arethus illuminated the suliporting rods 16 and the Wires 25-25vwhichconnect the parts of the letter member strips together are practicallyinvisible so that their presence in no manner detracts from theappearance of the sign. j

The letter members are indeed light in Weight when compared with raisedglass letter plate for signs and are therefore much easier and cheaperto make and to keep clean. Furthermore the letter members may be moreeasily changed or shifted about than the heavy glass letter platesbefore referred to and will not prove so dangerous if dropped during thehandling they receive when making changes in the matter to be depictedon said signs. Should snow or rain blow into the sign through theopening 13, the water therefrom Willvdrain through suitable holesprovided therefor in the bottom Wall of the casing between the frontWall and reflector.

While in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details ofmechanical construction and arrangement ol parts, I do not wish to belimited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention,

1. An illuminated sign comprising in combination, an open front casinghaving a light reflecting back-ground, vertically spaced rods extendinglongitudinally of the open front of the casing, letter members removablysupported and longitudinallyv shiftable on said rods, each letter memberincluding spaced strips defining the out-line of a letter in contrast tosaid light reflecting background, and concealed means in the casing forilluminating said light reflecting background.

2. An illuminated sign comprising in combination, an open front casinghaving a. light reflecting back-ground, vertically spaced rods extendinglongitudinally of the open front of the easing and secured at their endsto said casing, brace members for said rods engaged with and extendingforwardly from said light reflecting back-ground, letter members havinghooks on their rear sides adapted for a removable hooked engagement withsaid rods, each letter member in cluding spaced strips dening theout-line of a letter in contrast to said light reflecting back-ground.and means concealed back of the front wall parts defining the top andbottom edges of said opening for illuminating the said light reflectingback-ground.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I affix mysignature this 4th day of April, 1924.

'CHARLES B. EHNBORN.

